Religion: The Church of the Chimera

I'm worldbuilding for a new world to write in. Guess I'm never satisfied. Honestly, making the worlds is lots of fun, almost as much as writing a good story in a world. You can never have too many worlds, probably.

The Church of the Chimera is the dominant religion in this world. Animals are very important, and have, in fact, been deified as aspects of The Chimera. So, a kestrel might be the Talon of the Chimera, or a frog might be the Legs of the Chimera. It's an amalgam beast, so it can have both talons and claws on its frog legs.

Churches are dedicated to one aspect, while the main cathedral in the Imperial city welcomes all sects of the Church, knowing that to worship one aspect of the Chimera is to worship its whole being. The Imperial City's religious leader is the Grand Mother of all the church, leading the other Mothers and Fathers in how to better minister their flocks.

Humans hope that, through leading good lives, they will be reborn as part of the Chimera's body to join in the Hunt Eternal against the seven-headed dragon Seofon. If they lead bad lives, they may be reborn as an animal of high status, or one of lower status, to work their way back up.

Church buildings are designs around turrets; there will always be a tower or a turret in the centre of the church, with the congregation stretching off in either direction. These towers serve both as fortification and as symbols of the strength of the Chimera's will. They're based in part on the unusual Church of St Michael, Coxwold, UK.

St Michael's Church, Coxwold. Image by AdamFunk CC BY-SA 3.0